Play in Process: This Tiny Tower of Mine

Some games you really love, and you can articulate exactly why. Other games grab hold of you and simply will not let go – and at the end of the day, you don’t really know whether you could articulate why you love it so much.

Tiny Tower, a free game for the iPhone and iPad, is that type of game. There’s not much to it – you build new floors on your towers, you make them into various businesses, services, or apartment buildings, and then you restock them with offerings so that you can make money. Once you’ve done that, you do it all again. The game never ends and it never really changes. It really is just a constant grind.

But what a delightful grind it is! In the manner of the dreaded Farmville, it is basically just a series of time-delayed clicks. The joy isn’t in the process, but the result. The “bitizens” that live in my tower are often hilarious to look at. There is a certain amount of joy to discovering that your next floor is going to be a video rental, a bike shop, or a “Mapple Store”. The joy gets even more pronounced when you’re able to place these bitizens into their “dream job”, where they will be categorically happy for the rest of their 8-bit lives.

These pleasures are constantly within reach, to the point where I will excitedly do mundane tasks, like stocking and restocking my tower’s various businesses and operating the elevator, just so that they may be brought on more quickly. The question the game forces you to ponder is a crucial one for both game playing and living: is this stuff really worth it?

Richard H. Clark is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Christ and Pop Culture. He has a Master of Arts in Theology and the Arts from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He lives in Louisville, Ky. He is also the managing editor of Gamechurch and a freelance writer for Unwinnable, Paste, and other outlets. E-mail: clarkrichardh [at] gmail [dot] com. Twitter: @deadyetliving

http://goodokbad.com Seth T. Hahne

Are there microtransactions? I saw that and thought about downloading, but the last thing I wanted to encounter is another micromonetized game.

http://www.christandpopculture.com/ Richard Clark

They are really tastefully done and you don’t even know about them if you don’t go looking for them.

http://goodokbad.com Seth T. Hahne

Hmm. Maybe I’ll check it out.

http://uzovokox.wordpress.com best deposit bingo bonus

great post, very informative. I wonder why the opposite specialists of this sector don’t understand this. You must proceed your writing. I’m confident, you’ve a huge readers’ base already!

Hello Sweetie i just camr with the blog starting from google simply finding the solution guarantee very well particular Blog when compared to got irritated am seeking so i was really thankfull to your requirements..i am going to discover your blog in order to visited daily and find a bit more helpfull solution..In addition, i am in actuality Intrested in Offering the Guest Content For your diary so if you are essentially intrested then please let me know..and as a result again Great Blog post..

Hello Expensive i just camr for that blog between google picking out the solution and you have very well descriptive Blog and that i also got whatever i am selecting so i experience really thankfull in your..i am going to take note of your blog to visited often and find a good deal helpfull solution..In addition, i am particularly Intrested in Supplying the Guest Satisfied For your blogs so if you are highly intrested then could you let me know..as again Great Blog post..